Victoria Azarenka slams Centre Court

Victoria Azarenka wants the All England Club to investigate why so many players are suffering tournament-ending falls at Wimbledon after she and four others withdrew on Day Three.

The Belarusian second seed injured her right knee after slipping in the second set of her first-round victory over Maria Joao Koehler on Monday.

Victoria Azarenka falls on court during her first round match on Day One. The Belarusian withdrew from Wimbledon yesterday. Pic/AFP

The injury saw Azarenka pull out just before play was about to start in her Centre Court clash against Flavia Pennetta this afternoon.

Asked if there was anything different with the courts this year, the 23-year-old said: “I’m wondering the same question, because the court was not in a very good condition on Monday.

Caroline Wozniacki falls over in the fourth game of her second round match against Czech Republic’s Petra Cetkovska on Court Two in Wimbledon yesterday. The former World No 1 was ousted by the qualifier after needing some treatment for an ankle injury during the match. Pic/AFP

“My opponent fell twice; I fell badly; there were some other people who fell after. So I don’t know if it’s the court or the weather. I can’t figure it out it.

“It would be great if the club or somebody who takes care of the court just would examine or try to find an issue so that wouldn’t happen. Because on something like this, there is nothing I could have done to make that better. There is nothing I’ve done wrong that cost me to just withdraw from Wimbledon.”

Others players to pull out on wednesday...

>> John Isner: Knee injury while serving

>> Marin Cilic: Left knee injury

>> Radek Stepanek: Left hamstring injury

>> Yaroslava Shvedova: Arm injury

>> Philipp Kohlschreiber: Tired because of flu

Official word: “The courts have been prepared in exactly the same way as they have done in the past. There is no change. It is the same seed, everything is identical. We will definitely be looking at it. But we understand there is no connection that we’re aware of with the preparation of the courts.”